Contemporary sushi dates back to the early 19th century and can be made with dozens of ingredients and condiments. It seems there is a sushi revolution going on in the Big O these days, as you can find it anywhere from your grocery store to the highest end restaurants.
So, what does a restaurant do to make their sushi offerings unique, appetizing and filling? What’s the ticket to repeat patronage? What environment is perfect for an evening of delectable appetizers and bountiful dinners?
If you make one trip to Hiro 88, you will find all the answers.
Hiro has two locations, at 13th & Jackson in the Old Market and 129th & Maple in Eagle Run. Both venues have a hip feel with funky fixtures and a variety of seating options. Lighting is subtle and inviting, and diners can be in an intimate corner or a wide open conversation pit. These are establishments that are welcoming and comfortable for anyone.
With 27 varieties of sashimi and 43 different sushi rolls available, we took our time to study the listing and make our decisions, and, fortunately, there was a well-stocked bar and plenty of house martinis to quench our thirst while we perused. We settled on an order of Firecracker Rolls, Las Vegas Rolls and Crab Rangoon.
When the sushi plates arrived, our mouths gaped at the size of the morsels. Most rolls are one bite and done. Not at Hiro 88! These babies were colossal!
We dove right into the Las Vegas Rolls and yes – we hit the jackpot. Pun intended. White tuna, crab, cream cheese, green onion, masago – tempura fried and topped with eel sauce. Each roll was a minimum two-bite event, and as tasty as they were beautiful. Our Firecracker Rolls consisted of tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, cucumber and avocado, and what a pleasant balance of flavoring they offered – not too spicy, not too tame. Once again, the rolls were so large that one bite wouldn’t cut it. Our chopsticks got quite the workout!
In all our flavor frenzy – we nearly forgot about the Crab Rangoon. So when those four crispy cups of crab arrived, it was just another treat. They were very warm, light, airy and oozing with crab flavor. I do like to consider myself a Crab Rangoon connoisseur, having ingested many in my day, and these go right to the top of my list as Best in the Big O!
Now, one would think that after all that yummy fish, we would call it a day – oh, no – not when the dinner menu covers 5 pages of both Japanese and Chinese cuisine! Well, it takes at least one more martini to figure out dinner! The menu is very clever, with all item pricing ending in ‘88’ cents. I thought it was a catchy twist.
We settled on an item from each ethnicity. Yin’s Chicken from the Chinese menu and Shrimp Yaki Soba from the Japanese offerings. Both entrees arrived quickly and once again – portions were by no means small.
The Shrimp Yaki Soba is a mixture of pan fried shrimp with soba noodles and vegetables. It is a delightful dish and nearly enough to feed two! The shrimp was abundant; veggies were crisp and the noodles tender.
Yin’s Chicken consists of juicy white meat lightly battered and fried to a crispy texture, swimming in a sweet and spicy sauce and served with fresh white rice. This dish was so large, that we savored it a second time the next day.
Both meals were perfectly prepared, fresh and warm. Our compliments to the chef!
Service at Hiro 88 is excellent, and non-intrusive. Our waiter was well informed, helpful and pleasant. We had a wonderful, cozy, delightful evening that lingered as long as we desired.
Happy hour times differ at each location – and reverse happy hour (10pm and after) is a popular time for late night sushi lovers.
After seven years in the Omaha market, Hiro 88 has perfected their performance and their presentation.
